Dress-shield fastener.



Patented Nov. 26, Hill.

N A M G L E S DRESS SHIELD FASTENER.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1900.)

(No Model.)

\XATNEEEEE:

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH SELIGMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T SOPHIE HERMAN, OF NEW YORK, N.

DRESS-SHIELD FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,700, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed Septeinber 24:, 1900- Serial No. 30,935. (No model.)

This invention has for its object to provide a simple device for quickly and efiectively securing dress or armpit shields to the linings of dresses without sewing or stitching and in such manner that the shield can be readily detached, if desired.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will nowproceed to describe and claim. Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a dress-shield fastener embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a front view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a side view of a shield provided with my improved fasteners. Fig. 3 represents a View similar to a portion of Fig. 3, showing the method of applying the fastener. Fig. 4 represents a section on line t 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents the blank from which the fastener shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4c is made. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of a slightlymodified form of fastener. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7 7, Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views showing securing devices hereinafter referred to. Fig. 10 represents a perspective viewof a fastener embodying my invention made of wire. Fig. 11 represents a front view of the fastener shown in Fig 10.

The same numerals of reference indicate similar parts or features in all the drawings.

My improved fastener in the embodiment of my invention selected for purposes of illustration comprises a finger 2, adapted at one end for attachment to a dress-shield 4, the form of the finger being such that its outer portion projects from the shield, as shown in Fig. 3. The'said projecting portion is provided with spaced gripping elements comprising jaws 5 5, adapted to grasp a portion of the garment to which the shield is applied, said portion being, for example, the usual seam, hem, or fold 8,which extends around the armhole of the dress and may be a part of the lining. Said jaws are separated by a space, which is wedge-shaped, being relatively narrow between the upper or grasping portions of the jaws, and is wider below said portions, this form permitting the fabric or the seam which joins the sleeve to the waist to be conveniently introduced between the jaws by inserting it in the wider portion of the said space and then grasped by forcing it into the narrower portion, the fabric being thus wedged between the jaws. As shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the jaws form the edges of a slot, said edges deviating outward from each other between their ends, and the ends of said slot are closed and made rigid by the portions 6 and 7 of the finger.

The projecting portion of the finger is preferably bent between its ends, as at 15, to give the outer part of the finger a different inclination from the inner part, the parts each side of the bend lying in two planes at an angle to each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3,

the said outer part containing the grasping portion of the slot, while the inner part contains an extension of the wider portion of the slot. This arrangement enables the hem 8 to be conveniently introduced between the jaws by first inserting it in the wider portion of the slot, as shown in Fig. 3 and then grasping the portion of the hem that projects through the slot and forcing it into engagement with the jaws.

The preferred means for securing the finger to the shield are substantially rigid relatively to said fingers and may comprise two cars 10 10, which stand side by side and are adapted to bear against the inner surfaces of the sides of the shield, as shown in Fig. 4. Said ears may be attached to the shield in any suitable way, each ear being attached in dependently, so that there will be an unob-' structed space between the ears, as shown in Fig. 4:, for the reception of the hem 8.

In Figs. 1 and 6 I have shown the ears provided with perforations to receive rivets attaching the ears to the shield, or said perforations may receive stitches for the same purpose. The ears may be provided with eyelets 17, as shown in Fig. 8, or with spurs 16, as

shown in Fig. 9, or with any other fastening devices adapted to pass through the side pieces of the shield and be clenched thereon.

I prefer to make the fastener from a single piece of sheet metal or other suitable material suitably formed. In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown flanges 12 extending along the edges of the projecting portion of the finger, said flanges strengthening the construction and affording a neat finish and bearings for the thumb and finger when the fastener is being applied and removed.

The cross-section of the portion of the finger in which the jaws are formed is preferably somewhat crowning, as shown in Fig. 7, to give the jaws a slight degree'of elasticity, so that they will have a somewhat yielding grasp on the fabric and will therefore be less liable to tear the same than if they were flat.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I show a fastener embodying my invention made of a piece of wire bent upon itself at 20. The portions of the wire immediately connected by the bend 20 are close together and form jaws 50 50, corresponding to the jaws 5 5. Below the grasping portions of the jaws 5O 50 the arms of the wire are curved outwardly to increase the.

width of the space between said arms, the arms being bent at 150 to cause the outer portion, which includes the jaws 50 and portions of the sides of the wider part of the space between the arms, to stand at an angle to the inner portion, the object of the angle 150 being the same as that of the angle 15. Eyes 21 are formed at the ends of the arms, or instead of these eyes any other suitable securing means may be provided. The arms may be connected at points near the eyes 21 by a cross-piece 22, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 10,) this cross-bar corresponding to the part 6. (Shown in Fig. 6.) If the wire is sufficiently stiff, however, the connection 22 will not be required. The faces of the jaws 50 may be milled or corrugated to increase their hold on the fabric.

The fastener is preferably made of a noncorrosive material, which will enable the shield to be washed while the fastener is applied to it without objectionable results. I regard aluminium as a suitable material and may use any suitable metal or a non-metallic material, such as celluloid.

It will be seen that in attaching a shield.

provided with my improved fastener to a dress it is only necessary to insert the shield in its place and then insert a portion of the hem 8 in the wider portion of the slot or space between the jaws 5 5 and then crowd the hem between the grasping portions of the jaws, the operation being very quickly and easily performed.

To facilitate the attachment of the fastener to the shield, I provide the shield with extensions or corner-pieces 13, which are made only of cloth, the moisture-proof lining of rubber or other waterproof material that is applied to the main portion of the shield ter' minating at the lines 14 14, so that there is no such lining in the corner-pieces 13. I am thus enabled to employ metallic fastening devices to attach the fasteners to the shield without perforating the rubber orsubjecting it to strain.

It will be seen that in both the sheet-metal and the wire construction the shield-fastener comprises a finger having an opening, the edges of which constitute fabric grasping jaws. In the sheet-metal type the opening is a slot closed at both ends, while in the wire type the opening is or may be open at the inner end of the device.

I claim 1. A dress-shield fastener comprising a fin ger adapted for attachment to a dress-shield and having aprojecting portion provided with a slot the edges of which constitute jaws adapted to grasp a portion of the garment to which the shield is applied, said projecting portion being curved in cross-section to make the jaws slightly yielding.

2. A dress-shield fastener comprising a finger having spaced elements forming a passage or recess to admit a portion of the garment or seam-binding to which the shield is to be at tached, and formed with converging jaws to grip said portion of a garment and having means near the wider end of the jaws shaped to conform to the fold of a dress-shield whereby thefinger may be attached thereto the gripping edges of the jaws from their narrow to their Wider portions being inclined relatively to a straight line between said narrow or outer end of the jaws and the said means whereby the finger may be attached to a dress= shield.

3. A dress-shield fastener having spaced gripping elements formed to grip a fabric, said elements being bent intermediate their ends whereby the edges of said elements on one side of the bend lie in a plane at an angle to the edges of the other side of the bend to facilitate the entrance of the material or seambinding of a garment, the sides of the fastener at the rear or wider end being substan tially parallel whereby said fastener may be secured to a dress-shield.

1. A dress-shield fastener comprising cooperative gripping elements separated by a wedge-shaped space, said gripping elements being bent to form a dip intermediate their ends so as to facilitate the engagement of the material, and rigid means carried by said elements and shaped to conform to the fold of a dress-shield, whereby the fastener may be secured thereto.

5. The combination with a dress-shield, of a fastener secured at the fold thereof, comprising a finger having spaced gripping elements shaped to admit and grip the seambinding of a garment, the gripping'edges of said elements being inclined relatively to a straight line between the outer end of said too elements and the end of attachment, said end of attachment being shaped to con-form to the fold of the dress-shield.

6. A dress-shield fastener having a finger provided with an opening one portion of which tener with the material of a garment, said fastener having means near the wider end of the jaws shaped to conform to the fold of a dress-shield, whereby the finger may be attached thereto.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH SELIGMAN;

Witnesses:

SOPHIE HERMAN. L. s.] O. F. BROWN. L, s] 

